The Loveless Spirit
by TragicalMusique
Summary: AU. R27. Slight Others27. T-M. Tsuna and his friends were taking a cross country trip when their van broke down. They have no cell service. As they try to find help from a lonely, deserted farm, evil lurks. Craving for his lost salvation...his love.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Since I had several people who liked my first R27 fic I decided to do a new one…a longer one lol I had an interesting dream the other night most would consider a nightmare and decided to transform it into a R27 fic. So I hope you enjoy this o.o I almost don't know where this is gonna go o3ob Writing this probably gonna be scarier than having the dream was.

Rating: T-M (Language (Gokudera), Violence, and gore, blood etc all that fun stuff

NOTE: Matsuo (Ghost Town) is real and it closed down in 1969. It's an old mining town north of Japan, in the far countryside. However for the sake of the story it will be inhabited.

Ages: Tsuna 16, Yamamoto 16, Gokudera 17, Ryohei 17, Kyoko 16, Haru 16.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did…chaos.

_All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary. – Sally Ride _

The Loveless Spirit 

They have been driving forever. Tsuna groaned in despair at the pins and needles in his ass. Sitting for 3 and half hours was _painful…_and to think they still had 3 and a half to go.

"What's the matter, Tsuna?" his friend Gokudera asked concerned.

"Oh nothing…except it doesn't seem like we are getting anywhere," Tsuna replied, sighing.

"It will all be worth it once we get there though! I heard that Nature's Spa and Resort is famous for being the best!" Kyoko piped up from the driver's seat. Out of all the people in the van, she was the most level headed one to drive despite just getting her license a month ago. Gokudera switched with her about an hour ago. Tsuna looked over at her, and noticed Haru snoozing in the passenger seat and shook his head fondly.

He looked behind him at the far rear seats and saw Yamamoto playing a game on his Nintendo DS; by the way he was stabbing at the screen Tsuna assumed he was playing a baseball game.

Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother had his seat bent back as far as it would go, and was practicing his lightening swift punches at the air. Tsuna had lost track of how long he's been doing that.

"I sure hope it's worth it," Gokudera muttered, looking out the window at the passing scenery in boredom. They were on a deserted dirt road, passing rolling hills enshrouded in mist.

'How eerie.' Tsuna thought, shuddering. The last town that had a gas station was back about 60 miles. He stood up and looked over Kyoko to see the gas gauge. It had a little less than half a tank. He hoped that somewhere along this deserted road there would be a rest stop but he doubted it.

Gokudera was playing with his lighter now. Tsuna had hoped he had stopped but apparently not. His friend always did have a fascination with fire and things that went boom. It made Tsuna nervous but he wouldn't have Gokudera any other way. Tsuna perked up.

He saw something far out in the rolling, misty hills. Kyoko must have seen them too for she pointed at them the second after Tsuna saw it. "Oooh look guys! There's a farm," she said, excitedly. It was their first sign of civilization for miles. Haru, finally awoken by Kyoko's excited voice, looked.

Yamamoto, too entranced with his game, didn't look up. Gokudera yawned. "Maybe they have a bathroom," he grumbled.

Ryohei suddenly bounced up in his chair. Startled, Tsuna looked at him warily. "LOOK AT THAT EXTREME HOUSE!" he shouted, eyes shining. He was pointing at something about a half mile away from the farm and its house. It was an old, run down building. However it was in pretty good shape over all.

It looked to be of Victorian make. It was huge, with turrets, pillars holding the roof up somewhat, and it had peeling gray and white paint. The windows were all boarded up. A long, dirt path led up to it, with weeds all around it. It gave Tsuna the creeps.

It was like something was _watching _them. Before long they had passed the farm and creepy house behind.

"That was a pretty house…like out of an ancient fairytale," Haru breathed in awe. "More like haunted and scary," Tsuna said, still feeling cold even after they had long left the house behind. Haru pouted. "You're no fun Tsuna!"

Tsuna chuckled. 'I'm either no fun or useless.' he thought, somewhat dejectedly. Gokudera noticed Tsuna's expression and scowled at Haru. "Take that back about Tsuna! He has a better personality than you." Gokudera growled. Haru sniffed. "Guys…don't argue please." Tsuna sighed. He always had to be the peacemaker.

Gokudera reluctantly stopped glaring at Haru, and continued watching the passing scenery. 'Fucking bint…no one talks about Tsuna that way.' He thought angrily. Haru rolled her eyes before trying to get reception her cellphone to text.

"Are we almost there to the extreme?" Ryohei asked, stretching. "According to this map we are about 2 hours away," Kyoko replied, squinting at the badly inked copy paper in her hand. The printer had run out of ink when it was being copied.

'Two hours? Oh dear…' Tsuna moaned internally. Suddenly, the van jerked.

Kyoko screamed, making Yamamoto drop his game. The van twisted to the side before stopping, refusing to move. Smoke rose from the engine. "What happened?" Haru yelled, stunned. Kyoko looked scared. "We are out of gas…and I think the engine died." Kyoko whispered.

A/N: Fufufu…I'm evil aren't I? If you want more you know the drill~ R&R~ Please? ;3 How was it so far? Seriously. The more comments I get the more motivation I will have. R27 romance won't come till later. Plot needs to thicken first.

-Tragic


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Lol. I'm happy with the response to this. By the way…I already had the second chapter started so even if I didn't get a single review I would've posted it the day after anyways. Heh. Cause' I'm just that…_nice. _Also...I need to know if you guys would be too against Character death(s).

MaliciaRoxasSasuke: Lol…I think you sorta read my mind. I was gonna do a devil!Reborn cuz it fit him so well then I realized it wouldn't go well with the story. You will see why. Perhaps I will keep that idea in mind for a future fic.

GuiYang: I love cliffies. Hope it made up for the shortness. I sure do hope it's worth hanging around for or I might have just wasted my time XD lol Glad you like it so far.

R3iga1004: Thanks lol R27 is always worth waiting for. xD I wanted the beginning to capture attention but I hope to retain it throughout. R27 OTP. Lol. I like smilies /o/

xRinyukix : Very fishy indeed. But it's not the mansion but what's _inside._ But of course spirits so wander. Heh. Arigatou :) I'm glad it exceeded your expectations. *Bows*

Ayz283: Thanks :D I can't wait to write it all lol R27 stuff is coming soon…I wanna develop that relationship with obstacles. Reborn isn't often renowned for his affectionate nature until later. First he's gonna be more of a sadistic asshole.

Rating: T-M (Language (Gokudera), Violence, and gore, blood etc all that fun stuff

Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did I would make Tsuna wear boxers with the word "Reborn's" on them. Hell…that's what fanfiction is for lol

_Everyone is different. Sometimes it's very exciting; sometimes very scary. – Emanuel Ax  
__

The Loveless Spirit 

Tsuna clung to his seat like a scared rabbit. 'Oh. My. God.' Tsuna thought. And he wasn't even religious. Gokudera was scowling but underneath that Tsuna could see anxiety.

"I WILL CHECK OUT THE ENGINE!" Ryohei exclaimed, unbuckling his seatbelt, and twisting around Gokudera to get out the door. "Thank you brother!" Kyoko said, beaming. Haru looked pale. Tsuna patted her on the shoulder. "It will be fine," he said, trying to reassure her even when he wasn't feeling all that brave.

"I will protect you Tsuna." Gokudera suddenly said determined eyes on him. Tsuna sweat dropped. "That won't be necessary Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said, smiling at him. He seemed to blush slightly before nodding happily.

"Grr…I can't get any service out here at all!" Haru wailed. 'That's bad…' Tsuna thought, feeling despair. No service meant no help.

Kyoko was biting her lip nervously. Yamamoto laughed cheerfully. "It's all good! Ryohei is probably fixing the engine as we speak." He said, attempting to quell the tension in the van to no avail. Even if Ryohei miraculously fixed the engine, there was still the issue of gas.

Ryohei came back. Tsuna had never seen him look so…down. "I couldn't fix it to the extreme…it looks weird man…like it melted," he said, for once quietly. "Melted?" Gokudera scoffed.

Everyone's hearts sunk. Curious to see if Ryohei's claim was real, everyone climbed out of the van to look. Tsuna did so reluctantly. He still felt the sensation that something wasn't _right. _It had been there ever since passing the Victorian house and farm.

No one else seemed affected though. They all looked at the engine in the front hood of the van. They were all speechless. Even Gokudera and Yamamoto. The engine was smoking slightly.

It was completely ruined. The metal was melted.

Kyoko and Haru's eyes were wide in astonishment. "Maybe we can get someone at that farm to help us?" Gokudera suggested. Tsuna shivered. He _really, really_ didn't want to go back near that mansion. But it was looking like they had no choice.

When Tsuna looked up at the sky, he saw that it was gray and overcast more so than before. 'Just our luck…rain.' Tsuna thought morosely. Yamamoto looked like he was trying to keep smiling though it seemed strained. Ryohei was practicing his kickboxing as he walked. Tsuna really didn't know how he did that.

Kyoko and Haru were downcast and walking silently. Gokudera was beside him, unusually close but that was how he usually was around him. Their feet kicked up dust from the road, making Tsuna sneeze. "Bless you." Gokudera said. "Thanks." Tsuna grumbled.

It was eerily silent, their voices seemed to echo. It didn't help that the closer they got to the farm and the creepy house Tsuna felt his sense of impending doom increasing. Ten minutes later, Tsuna suddenly face planted having tripped on a rock buried innocuously in the ground. "Tsuna! Are you ok?" Gokudera cried, helping him stand. Yamamoto laughed.

"It's been awhile since you tripped Tsuna…this brings back memories from middle school," Yamamoto said, amused. Tsuna mumbled curses under his breath. "I'm sure it does," Tsuna muttered, disgruntled. Gokudera was about to whack Yamamoto on the head when they noticed the girls were a few feet away looking green.

"What's wrong to the extreme? Ryohei yelled, running back to them. Gokudera, Yamamoto and Tsuna followed more slowly. Haru pointed a trembling finger at something buried in the ground. What they thought was a rock sticking from the ground was actually a half buried _human _skull. Tsuna paled. He almost threw up when Ryohei dug up the skull and started to play with it.

"Brother! Put that down!" Kyoko cried. "Hahaha…who knew there was a prop like that around here?" Yamamoto laughed. Tsuna sweat dropped. Ryohei shrugged before crushing the skull with one hand. Tsuna watched the dust and fragments fall to the ground, sickened in the knowledge that it wasn't a prop…it was _real_. Gokudera hit Yamamoto on the head for making Tsuna retch.

They all continued walking, no one talking. While they would like to believe what Yamamoto said, they knew it was implausible.

The mist seemed to thicken around them, the hills rising ominously tall. In the far, far distance Tsuna could make out what they had previously overlooked. Large, dark gray crags of what looked faintly like buildings. But it was too far away to be certain. He shivered, tugging his jacket closer to him.

It felt like his soul was quivering the closer they got to the farm and that eerie mansion. Even now he could see the faint outline of them ahead. 'I wonder why I'm the only one feeling this?' he wondered. While his friends seemed shaken it was more due to the chilly air and their predicament then anything having to do with going to the farm and the mansion.

It was more than it seemed. An unexplainable _sadness, _and_ despair_ seemed to linger there. It was affecting Tsuna' pure hearted, kind nature. Even at a distance it felt as though something was reaching for him. He started when Gokudera put his arm on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Tsuna?" he asked, worry in his eyes. 'I must've let too much show." Tsuna thought, wincing. "Yeah…I'm alright," Tsuna replied, giving him a small smile. Before Gokudera could respond he suddenly snorted. Tsuna, curious, looked around Gokudera to see what caught his attention.

Tsuna laughed. Ryohei was _skipping. _Down the road.

"Oi! This isn't the fucking Wizard of Oz!" Gokudera shouted. The girls were chortling in amusement from behind them. With this one move, the tension seemed to dissipate. However, Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. Yamamoto had his hands on his knees and was doubled over in laughter, muttering something about flying monkeys. Tsuna wasn't sure.

They hurried to catch up to Ryohei. Tsuna went the slowest, feeling dread in the pit of his stomach. He had always been the one most afraid of things. Even his own shadow as a child. So it was natural he was bullied a lot when he was younger.

But now…he could instinctually tell that his fears for once were valid. He didn't know how or why…but they were. When he finally caught up with the rest, he could see the farm was not that far away. It was just down the road, a mere 10 minute walk away now. "Yatta! We're almost there!" Yamamoto cheered.

'That's not something to cheer about…what if these people are ax murderers from a horror movie or something?' Tsuna thought, shaken. Well…that is if there were any people living at the farm. It looked somewhat deserted.

Tsuna blinked when a drop of water hit his nose. He wrinkled it at the cold feeling. "Oh great…it's raining," Haru grumbled. Storm clouds assembled overhead, looking threatening. The group hurried towards the farm. Tsuna shielded his face from the sudden onslaught of rain.

Wind howled. The long blades of vibrant green grass on the rolling hills around them was flattened by one violent gust of wind. It nearly blew Tsuna, Kyoko, and Haru away. Tsuna pouted. 'Why do I have to be so small?' he thought.

Soon they were running up the dirt path towards the farm house. Tsuna looked over in the semi far distance at the mansion. It seemed darker for some reason…like the murky storm clouds were originating from it. 'Absurd.' Tsuna thought, shaking his head.

They stood under the small porch, panting. Well he, Haru, Kyoko and Gokudera were panting. Ryohei and Yamamoto seemed fine. 'Sports fanatics got all the luck.' Tsuna thought wryly, a smile tugging at his lips. Kyoko knocked on the faded, wooden door with the screen door banging in the wind.

They waited with bated breath but it seemed as though there was no one in there. Tsuna shivered in his drenched jacket, whether from fear, the cold or both he didn't know. He was going to hazard a guess and say it was the latter.

Ryohei was pumping his legs up and down in one spot. Tsuna had a niggling suspicion that he was actually _excited._ Why? He would never know.

Gokudera suddenly sauntered up to the door, and banged hard enough to almost break it. "Hiiie! Gokudera-kun! You're going to break it," Tsuna wailed, pulling at Gokudera's arm.

Gokudera stopped banging on the door with a _tch._ Tsuna sighed in relief.

"Guys…look," Haru suddenly spoke, pointing at something near the barn across from the farm house they were standing at. A bobbing glow of a lantern was coming towards them.

Tsuna squinted. He could barely make out the figure of an old man. As he got closer, Tsuna could see that the stooped, old man had short cropped silver and black hair, wrinkled tanned skin, and weary gray eyes. His gaze alighted on them with surprise. "What are you kids doing here?" he asked, suspiciously.

Kyoko stepped up timidly. "Umm…we are sorry to intrude on your property sir but our van broke down and is out of gas…we were looking for some help…we will pay you of course!" she said, with a smile. Tsuna looked her fondly. Kyoko used to be his crush…she could always calm a situation down.

"HAI SIR! WE NEED HELP TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted exuberantly. Her brother however was another story. Tsuna face palmed. Gokudera shook his head exasperatedly.

Yamamoto sent a beaming smile at the old man who looked at them oddly. Haru wasn't even paying attention. Tsuna noticed that her gaze was focused on the mansion a half mile away from the farm. Tsuna didn't even want to look in that direction.

"Ahh I see…I heard banging on my door while I was closing the barn up…there hasn't been visitors in these parts for months…" the old man trailed off, chuckling weakly. "Come on in then," he said, leading them inside. It was dark in the small house, the only Illumination being the candles on the tables and brief flashes of lightening.

The old man eyed Ryohei warily, expecting him to break something and looking relieved when Kyoko put her hand his arm to prevent him from running around. Tsuna though slightly scared, was amused by this. Everyone's teeth were chattering. The old man went into a room adjacent to the door which turned out to be a living room with a ragged couch, an end table with a china lamp, and a faded easy chair across from it. His intention was to light the fireplace which immediately brought warmth and light to the dim house.

"Ah..my name is Fugii Izanagi," the old man, Izanagi said, somewhat awkwardly.

"M-my name is Tsuna, a-and these are my friends, G-Gokudera-kun, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan, Yamamoto, and Ryohei who is Kyoko's b-brother," Tsuna said, teeth still chattering slightly. His friends were looking around the room curiously. "I see…nice to meet you…make yourselves comfortable," Izanagi said. Tsuna sat down next to Kyoko and Haru on the couch while the others sat on the floor. Izanagi had the chair.

For a few moments awkward silence permeated the air. "So your van broke down? How far away?" Izanagi finally asked, loading a pipe with tobacco. "About a mile and a half away or so," Haru said, shrugging. "I see…there's a mining town called Matsuo about a few miles from here…hopefully the people there will help…if they aren't too scared that is," Izanagi said, puffing on his pipe. 'That must be what those gray buildings were.' Tsuna mused.

Suddenly something caught Tsuna's eye while the others were asking why the townspeople would be scared.

It was half hidden behind a book shelf and a curtain next to the window. It was of a pretty woman with long coppery hair and soft brown eyes with fair skin. Izanagi must've noticed his attention was fixated on something and looked. "Ah…I see you noticed my late wife's portrait," he said sadly. Tsuna tore his gaze away from it. "She's very pretty," Tsuna said softly, looking down at his lap.

Izanagi gave a soft smile at the gentle looking boy.

"You look and act a lot like how she used to," he murmured. Tsuna blushed. "What happened to her if you don't mind my asking?" Gokudera asked, glaring lightly at Izanagi for making Tsuna blush. Haru and Kyoko looked at him reproachfully for asking such a personal question but it was obvious they were curious as well.

Yamamoto and Ryohei leaned forward from their positions on the floor, eyes wide and curious. Izanagi sighed.

"She was murdered by the Obake that haunts Matsuo and this part of the region about 40 years ago," he replied solemnly. Gokudera scoffed. "Obake? A shape shifting spirit? Are you serious?" Haru asked incredulously. Izanagi shot Gokudera and Haru heated looks. Tsuna put a hand on Gokudera's arm to calm him down. Haru just pouted.

"EXTREME! I WANT TO FIGHT THIS OBAKE!" Ryohei shouted, startling Izanagi. Everyone else was used to his random outbursts and didn't even blink. Yamamoto laughed at everyone. "That sounds interesting…but I am sorry for your loss," he said, face turning somewhat somber.

Izanagi sighed. "It happened a long time ago…" he said, staring pensively out the window at the rain. "What form does the…Obake use?" Tsuna asked curiously. He had always thought myths were fascinating even if some of them scared him. He knew that Obake while they can change into anything they wanted they often chose the form that they felt an attachment to.

"To answer that question young man I would have to tell you a story long forgotten by everyone but the elders in this desolate region," Izanagi said, staring at Tsuna sharply. Gokudera glowered at Izanagi for looking at Tsuna like that. Tsuna nodded meekly. "W-would you tell us?" Kyoko asked timidly.

"Might as well…" Izanagi said, setting his pipe down. "This has to do with Rin too," he continued. "Your wife?" Tsuna inquired.

"Hai."

Izanagi cleared his throat before starting his sad tale. The crackling from the hearth was making Tsuna sleepy but he tried to stay awake, feeling this tale was important somehow.

"It was 60 years ago…," he started. "Damn you're really old!" Gokudera shouted before leaning away from the glares everyone shot him. Tsuna groaned.

"_Anyways_…40 years ago Matsuo used to be a booming mining town, much like the old west used to be in the United States, I used to go there all the time with my Father till I became old enough to do so by myself…I was 20 when I met Rin there working as a barmaid," Izanagi said, pausing to light his pipe again. Tsuna's large, caramel colored eyes glowed inquisitively. He enjoyed old stories.

Izanagi smiled at him gently before continuing. Gokudera glared moodily out the window.

"I was smitten with her the moment I set eyes on her…-Haru and Kyoko cooed excitedly- she had many suitors being the belle of the town at the time…one of them was the Sheriff's son, a handsome, dark, smart, dangerous man by the name of Reborn," Izanagi said, dull eyes lighting up with a long ago fear and anger.

That name sent chills down Tsuna's spine. 'How scary…' he thought, rubbing his suddenly sweaty hands on his still damp jeans.

"He would always try to court her but she didn't like him or the way he would act towards others, she was a very kind soul, always helping others…one day Reborn snapped," Izanagi whispered. Everyone held their breaths, even Gokudera to hear what he would say next.

"The breaking point was when I asked her hand in marriage and she said yes...we were only married for a few years before he killed her then committed suicide," Izanagi said, sighing.

"How awful!" Kyoko cried. Ryohei placed a reassuring arm across her shoulders. Haru looked pale and she had tears in her eyes. Yamamoto wasn't even smiling. Gokudera looked sympathetic. Tsuna bit his lip. That was a sad tale…but apparently Izanagi still had more to say.

"You know that mansion across from here? That's the old residence of Reborn and his family…shortly after Reborn committed suicide his mother died from a broken heart and his Father fell ill and died a year later, but I swear that place has his dark presence waiting to strike us all dead," Izanagi said in a muted voice. "Many people call him the Rovuresu Tama…or Loveless Spirit…because before he died witnesses heard him say," I shall never love again."

"Ever since then late at night after sunset there's always something that haunts the area, dark whispers, the occasional murder, ghostly gun shots, insane laughter after sunset…" Izanagi said.

"Why do you live so close to it? If what you said about him waiting to strike and haunting Matsuo and this countryside is true why hasn't he killed you yet? I mean you _were_ his rival for the love of a woman…" Gokudera asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I cannot move away…this is my family home…I was born here so I will die here…and as for that, I believe Reborn felt that I was punished enough to live as a lonely man with no prospects," Izanagi replied, eyes darkening.

"So this Obake is…Reborn?" Tsuna asked. Izanagi nodded. "That is the form the Obake has assumed…I believe that Reborn's despair and utter fury turned him into a vengeful Obake who takes out his grief on those around him."

Suddenly, Izanagi jumped up from his chair with surprising agility.

"I suggest you hurry and get your van fixed by the people in Matsuo as soon as possible and get the hell out of here before he realizes your presence if he hasn't already," Izanagi said, eyes darting around. Tsuna felt the color drain from his face. The rain still hasn't let up…in fact it seemed to have worsened. The old man sighed.

"But I suppose since the weather is terrible it will have to wait till morning…one of you can sleep on the couch, two on the floor, and one in the chair…the girls get the guest room…I will get some blankets," Izanagi said, looking tired. Tsuna felt bad for him. Here they were, total strangers, and they made him tell a story that was no doubt a sore spot for him even after all these years. Tsuna stood up, meekly giving the old man a hug. He didn't know why he felt a spike of fear when doing so.

Surprised, Izanagi patted him awkwardly on the back. Gokudera looked away jealously.

'Tsuna is like Rin in the story…kind and considerate.' Kyoko thought, smiling. Haru yawned. Tsuna looked over at the uncharacteristically silent Yamamoto and Ryohei who were staring at the dying flames in the hearth. Seems they were more affected by the story than he had thought.

"Thank you Tsuna," Izanagi said, smiling kindly before walking down the dim hallway to get blankets and pillows. "You can have the couch Tsuna," Gokudera said brightly. "Oh that's ok Gokudera-kun…you take the couch," Tsuna said, chuckling nervously. That feeling of fear never left him…in fact it seemed to have increased if possible. "No I insist!" Gokudera protested stubbornly.

Tsuna was eventually cowed into taking the couch, feeling guilty. Yamamoto convinced Gokudera to take the chair. That left Ryohei and Yamamoto on the floor. After Izanagi gave them a pile of blankets and pillows, he made the girls follow him to the guest room.

He came back just as Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, and Yamamoto were settled. He stared at them for a moment, his face inscrutable before saying, 'If you need me I'll be down the hall to the right…the bathroom is next to the kitchen across from my room."

"Thank you! We won't disturb you," Tsuna said shyly. Nodding, Izanagi went over to the hearth to relight the fire then left.

Once they heard a door shut down the hall, Gokudera turned towards Tsuna. "There's something weird about that guy," he whispered. Tsuna was about to reproach Gokudera about his tactlessness when he stopped to think. His unease had tripled when they got to the farm but he had assumed it was because they were so close to the mansion. 'Obake are shape shifting spirits…they usually take on the forms of the deceased more than the living…' he mused before shaking his head.

'Why am I thinking this? Izanagi was kind enough to take us in and help us…'

Gokudera eyed Tsuna curiously when he didn't speak. "Um…well, he was nice enough to help us Gokudera…its rude to think badly of him," Tsuna whispered, slightly uncertain. Gokudera shrugged, resigned to Tsuna's kind, thoughtful nature.

Everyone's breathing eventually leveled out and they were asleep. Except Tsuna. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He trusted his instincts. But the thing was that he had this feeling ever since earlier today when they even passed the farm and mansion.

He didn't know what to think. In the soft light of the flames Tsuna looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. His brow furrowed in confusion. He took out his nearly dead cellphone, and checked the time. It could be the time frames were different from his home and here but they weren't that far away to make that much difference.

They were still in Japan after all!

The clock said it was 5:35 but on his phone it said 11:58 p.m.

Tsuna eventually chalked it up to Izanagi forgetting to change the time but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was wrong. He suddenly wondered if they rolled down the windows to the van or not before shaking the stupid thought away. Staring at the ceiling, he noticed something abnormally dark on it.

'Is that…blood?' he thought in growing horror. He shined his cell phone's luminous glow at the ceiling and choked. It was blood.

'Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!' Tsuna was having a mental freak out.

He scrambled to get up, shakily stepping over Yamamoto and Ryohei, to get to Gokudera. With a trembling hand he shook Gokudera awake. "Mmmpft? Tsuna?" Gokudera mumbled, blinking at him in confusion. "Gokudera…there's blood on the ceiling," Tsuna whispered frantically. "What?" Gokudera said, his eyes sharpening. He looked towards the spot on the ceiling Tsuna pointed at, using his cell phone to light it up

Gokudera's pale skin turned bone white. "Tsuna…help me move the couch," he ordered, shaking. Tsuna looked at him, not comprehending before realization lit up his face. As quietly as possible, they moved the couch back. Once the couch was moved they stared down at the human sized imprint of dried, blackened blood.

They stood there in horrified silence. It was the same size as the old man's body.

"Oh my god…we have to wake the others and get out of here," Gokudera whispered. Tsuna nodded mutely, eyes wide and scared. Tsuna woke Yamamoto while Gokudera woke Ryohei. Gokudera had to hurriedly cover Ryohei's mouth before he could shout anything. "Shh…its dangerous here guys…look at the ceiling and the floor where the couch was," Gokudera whispered.

They turned slowly to look, their eyes widening in shock. "So not extreme…"Ryohei muttered. Tsuna couldn't agree more. Yamamoto had a scary frown on his face. "Let's get the girls," he said quietly.

They creeped down the hall being extra careful when they passed Izanagi's room. Tsuna noticed things he hadn't before. The dust, broken things, how everything seemed untended to for a long time. Tsuna winced when the door to the guest room creaked slightly. Yamamoto and Ryohei woke the girls who blinked blearily at them.

"No time to explain…we have to get out of here," Ryohei hissed urgently. Haru was about to protest when Kyoko stopped her. She had never seen her brother act this way so it was safe to assume he was serious. They hurriedly grabbed their jackets and phones.

They were a few feet from the front door when suddenly the little farm house started to shake. Haru and Kyoko screamed as windows shattered inward. Wind howled angrily as things flew around the room. Darkness started to creep around them before taking the form of Izanagi.

Except it wasn't him. This Izanagi was leering with a dangerous glint in his eyes as the darkness that was him started to morph.

As the group of horrified friends watched, the shadow of Izanagi became taller, thinner, and broad shouldered.

It formed into a slightly transparent black suited man with an orange undershirt, black tie, and a black fedora with a large yellow band around it. Dark eyes glittered with malice under the shadow of the fedora. A smirk adorned the pale, handsome face. A black and green gun was pointed at them.

The Obake's voice was smooth as silk and dangerous as a viper.

"Chaos."

A/N: Heh…long ass chapter no? It's longer AND it has a cliffy. I daresay I outdone myself. Please tell me what you think. I'm proud of this chapter lol R&R :)

-Tragic


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Damn. So many reviews and love. Sorry if I gave any of you nightmares. Heh. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read this so far! All of your responses made me cry happy tears :"D

xRinyukix...Killing you? Don't die before reading this chapter lol By the way…I loved that song :D

Final Syai Lunar Generation…you are the second person to practically read my mind but since I pride myself on unpredictability I will be doing something slightly different from your guesses. Death can lead to love. It's possible. Again…thank you everyone :) I hope to keep exceeding your expectations.

Rating: T-M (Language (Gokudera), Violence, and gore, blood etc all that fun stuff

Disclaimer: This is ridiculous. I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn but I do own the plot of this story. Nya.

_Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention. __– Douglas Horton_

The Loveless Spirit 

Literally staring death in the face was certainly a time for reflection. But in this case Tsuna couldn't even get his mind to stop screaming what sounded like Hibari Kyouya from school back home to "Run Herbivore! Run!"

He and his friends were the fear stricken Herbivores and the Obake, Reborn, was the Predator. Well…Ryohei had this crazy manic gleam in his eyes he gets when he sees someone worth fighting. Just as Tsuna was about to somehow restrain Ryohei from doing something stupidly _extreme_, Reborn's dark eyes flashed at his miniscule movement.

"Move and I will not hesitate to send you to God," Reborn murmured, dangerously suave. Tsuna froze. No one dared to move, and everyone gave a silent sigh of relief when Ryohei seemed to think for once and remained put.

Reborn smirked, lowering the gun to his side. He seemed to float slightly as he paced the hall towards them. He spread his long, elegant fingers outward as though gesturing towards something that Tsuna couldn't see.

"I see my acting skills have surpassed me…I must say that your reactions were quite…_amusing_, Reborn said silkily, giving a small chuckle. Tsuna noticed his friends were as frightened as he was. This gave him pause. They were always the ones to bravely protect him from gangs and bullies while he stood there afraid.

'Perhaps…perhaps if it comes to that…' Tsuna thought, closing his eyes tightly.

That was a mistake.

Tsuna felt his breath become frigid and his heart race as he felt a cold finger caress his cheek. He didn't dare open his eyes. The finger disappeared.

Tsuna cracked his eyes to see Reborn's face right in front of his, his dark eyes piercing his own.

"Hiiie!" Tsuna shrieked, stumbling back into Gokudera who held onto him. Reborn's handsome face morphed into a hideous scowl before becoming impassive.

"You remind me so much of what I had desired…and of what I had lost." His voice sent chills down Tsuna's spine. It had a faint accent to it.

"Now that you have witnessed my true form, I must kill you…however-Reborn paused to look over Tsuna, smirking- I am willing to compromise…of course you don't have a choice in the matter," Reborn continued slyly, fingering his gun.

"What the fuck do you want from us?" Gokudera growled, tightening his hold on Tsuna.

"Gokudera!" Tsuna hissed, mortified. Reborn gave a small shrug.

"Your willing compliance before I decide to change my mind on the importance of your lives," Reborn replied, still not taking his eyes off Tsuna. Tsuna shifted nervously under his intense gaze.

Turning his head slightly he saw that Kyoko and Haru looked either ready to pass out from fear or the blood rushing to their heads from Reborn's appearance. Yamamoto looked unusually serious which was unnerving in and of itself. Ryohei was cracking his knuckles and in the tense silence it grated on Tsuna's nerves.

"W-what d-do you w-want?," Tsuna stuttered. He really was terrified but if he could help save his friend's lives he didn't care if he showed fear.

Reborn remained silent, the fedora casting his face in shadow. Then he slowly tilted his head. Tsuna had a sneaking suspicion that he was amused.

"What I was denied…you," Reborn replied huskily. Tsuna was suddenly shoved behind Gokudera.

"Like I will hand him over to a rotten, dirty bastard like you!" he snarled, flipping out what Tsuna had hoped he left at home. Tsuna hurriedly grabbed Gokudera's arm. "No! If you throw those we will die!" Tsuna cried.

Gokudera seemed to struggle internally before a sudden gunshot cracked the silence. Kyoko and Haru screamed. Ryohei and Yamamoto jumped, startled.

A few strands of silver hair fell to the ground, the bullet nearly hitting Gokudera's head to hit the wall behind him.

"Now, now…no violence please…lets discuss this as gentlemen," Reborn ordered, an infuriating little smile quirking his lips. He seemed to disregard the girls as unimportant. 'The nerve.' Tsuna thought, frowning. Gokudera angrily shoved his dynamite back into his jacket. Tsuna could tell he was shaken.

Reborn circled them like a wolf around its prey.

"Are any of you aware of something referred to as a Mukei Teiketsu?" he asked, swiftly appearing next to Tsuna, who jumped.

"An S-spiritual C-contract?" Tsuna said, flinching when Reborn started to rub his strands of caramel colored hair between his fingers. "Yes…do you happen to know what it entails?" Reborn questioned, looking down at him. Tsuna blushed. He could see Gokudera seething.

"Umm…" Tsuna trailed off. Reborn seemed to sigh, stepping away from Tsuna.

"Dame-Tsuna…-Tsuna gasped at his old nickname-it means that for me to spare your lives you must sign and adhere to the Mukei Teiketsu to become a spirit bound to the Earth to the contractor…you will live if only in spirit," Reborn explained, smirking at their horrified expressions.

'How…how did he know that name? Coincidence?' Tsuna wondered.

"We might as well die!" Haru cried.

"I could still arrange that if it is to your preference," Reborn suggested casually. Haru shook her head frantically.

Ryohei suddenly darted forward at Reborn while it seemed his attention was elsewhere, cocking back a fist ready to punch him. Reborn's eyes flashed as he slid around Ryohei's lightening fast attack with relative ease.

Reborn lifted a hand clenching it into a loose fist. Ryohei's eyes widened as he was suddenly sent flying into the wall. 'I didn't even see him move…EXTREME!' was his last thought before he blacked out. Tsuna was stunned. In his whole life he has never seen Ryohei miss.

Kyoko cried out and ran to over her brother.

Yamamoto was gaping. Haru went over to Kyoko to help and calm her down. Gokudera was shaking in anger.

Reborn tsked. "That was foolish...but I commend him for having guts," Reborn murmured softly.

"H-how are you solid?" Tsuna finally asked, his curiosity overriding his fear for a moment. He worried about Ryohei but knew he would be fine. Hopefully.

Reborn turned his unnervingly intense gaze back on him.

"Obake are a different form of spirit…while I am considered dead I have the ability of shape shifting which is a physical art…call it a God's curse or the Devil's blessing if you will," he replied.

"I-I see…" Tsuna mumbled.

"I find it entertaining that you naturally assumed I would be the contractor…judging by your friends' violent reactions," Reborn said, shaking his head slowly. "Other spirits cannot be contractors…I can make it but I cannot make the living sign it…rather I pick someone I desire to live to do so," he said, looking at Tsuna.

Tsuna didn't like where this was going.

It was either die in the middle of nowhere in this old deserted farm house or become spirits bound forever to the Earth. His friends didn't deserve either.

"Of course…Dame-Tsuna shall be the one to remain human," Reborn said. He suddenly raised a hand, a light blue glow erupting into flames to create a long piece of black paper with silvery cursive depicting the words of the contract.

Tsuna looked frantically at his friends who gave him shaky, reassuring smiles. "If it is you we will be bound to then I don't mind," Kyoko murmured. His other friends gave him firm nods of agreement. "I want to protect you forever like you once saved me Tsuna," Gokudera said, eyes flaring icy green.

"How…touching but if you don't take this quill and sign in the next fifteen seconds I'll shoot you…consider it a game," Reborn threatened. They all scrambled for the quill floating between Reborn's fingers, hurriedly signing their names. "What about my brother? He can't sign it!" Kyoko said, looking desperately at Ryohei's immobile form. Everyone except Ryohei had it signed.

"Seven seconds," Reborn said disinterestedly. Kyoko hurriedly signed her brother name. The contract glowed before disappearing into Reborn's black suit jacket.

"You are lucky little girl…if you weren't a blood relative who signed his name he would've died for sure," Reborn said. Kyoko looked ready to pass out. Haru steadied her. Tsuna suddenly realized something.

This felt akin to making a deal with the devil.

'Oh my god…I'm such an idiot!' he mentally screamed.

"But I won't live forever! How will that work?" Tsuna asked, panicking.

Reborn's smirk grew bigger. It could almost be considered a smile if it wasn't so cruel.

"Ah…that's my favorite part of this contract…the contractor must bind their soul to mine seeing as how I'm a superior being to gain eternal life…because if you die your friends will die and be sent to Hell for even signing this forbidden contract," Reborn said sinisterly. "I'll hazard a guess that you wished you had read it in full now, hmm?"

Tsuna blanched. His friends were all pale excluding Ryohei who was still unconscious. 'He didn't give us time to read it! If we had tried to read it then time would've ran out and he would've shot us!' Tsuna thought, horrified.

'I just bonded my soul to an evil Obake.' Tsuna thought, feeling woozy.

Yamamoto suddenly spoke up. "What's the difference between a spirit and a soul anyways?"

Reborn looked like he deciding whether or not to answer.

"Hmm…a soul is just a manifestation of your personality that dies when your physical body dies…a spirit is something that can be anchored to the world much like your physical body was only transparent and untouchable in most cases," Reborn replied, sounding much like a tutor.

"So in a sense…I am Tsunayoshi's spirit and he is my soul…ironic, no? Because he cannot become a spirit and I have no soul."

Sudden screams ripped through the air. Tsuna whirled around watching in terror as his friends writhed in agony. It was like they were dying. Their skin melted away before a blinding flash of light exploded throughout the dark farm house.

Reborn was chuckling lowly as though he was watching a comedy.

Then the light disappeared, leaving behind the transparent forms of his friends. Tsuna stumbled over to Gokudera and tried to touch his shoulder. His hand passed through it.

'I-it really happened.' Tsuna thought in disbelief. It defied all logical reasoning. Everything that had happened so far had.

In a way he was being selfish. He didn't want his friends to die but had doomed them to a crueler fate. He hoped they could forgive him.

Reborn stood a few feet away, watching him. Tsuna felt fiery anger for a second before it died. He never could really mad. Even at those who deserve it. In a way he felt sorry for Reborn.

One by one his friends started to stir, even Ryohei. Poor Ryohei didn't even know what happened. Tsuna felt tears fill his eyes. He would understand if they didn't love him anymore. He would deserve it.

"Tsuna? What's the matter?" Gokudera asked, concerned. He tried to touch him but it passed through his body. Looking saddened, Gokudera lowered his hand.

"It's alright Tsuna…we don't hate you…we never could," Yamamoto whispered, looking down at his body in bemusement. "Well said for once baseball idiot," Gokudera muttered. Tsuna felt a giggle try to claw its way up his throat. His friends would never change in personality. Kyoko was hugging her brother.

Apparently spirits could touch other spirits. That was a small relief.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EXTREME? I'M EXTREMELY SEE THROUGH! Ryohei yelled, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Brother…we are spirits now," Kyoko said quietly. She filled him in. "Eh...EXTREME!" he shouted. Everyone face palmed except Reborn who was studying his fingernails dispassionately. Haru seemed to still be digesting what just happened. Then she sighed.

"Well…so much for a vacation," she grumbled. Tsuna had forgotten all about that. What with their lives being in danger and all.

Reborn started walking towards the front door. "Hey! Where are you going?" Gokudera asked. He didn't turn around when he replied.

"I don't feel inclined to remain in this hovel much longer…follow if you wish but don't annoy me."

Gokudera scowled. Yamamoto laughed and clasped Gokudera's shoulder. "Calm down there Gokudera," he said.

"I don't want to stay in here any longer either…its creepy," Haru said, giving a shudder.

"Let's go then," Tsuna said, smiling at them softly. They followed Tsuna who followed Reborn out of the house. Looking at it on the outside they noticed that it looked ready to fall apart. The windows shattered, the wood cracked, and the porch leaned dangerously close to the ground.

Once again they felt fear. Fear of Reborn, of what he could do, and what the future may now mean for them.

Reborn halted. "Dame-Tsuna…come here," he ordered. Quivering slightly, Tsuna approached him hesitantly. When he got close enough, Reborn suddenly bonked him on the head. Hard.

"Hiiie!" Tsuna cried, clutching his abused head. "That was for thinking so loud and giving me a headache," Reborn said simply before walking again. 'Jerk.' Tsuna thought, pouting. Reborn gave him a warning look. Tsuna cowered.

His friends looked on with slight amusement. Gokudera looked angry but knew better than to mess with Reborn. He could get his revenge in different ways. A manic grin grew on his lips.

They looked towards where they were going and gulped. They were heading up the dirt path towards the mansion.

Reborn's mansion.

Tsuna noticed the dark clouds that surrounded it haven't gone away.

A/N: Reborn could read thoughts in canon. Lol. So I thought since Reborn and Tsuna are technically connected in this story that it would be possible now. Explainable. As for how Reborn seemed to know Tsuna's old nickname…that was coincidence.

I hope this chapter was good…I have a few doubts but I desire to know of your opinions. R&R please :) If you do I'll be more inclined to keep up my current fast pace of updating. If not… well…it could be awhile. Heh. Tell me…did I write Reborn correctly? I hope so. Please tell me.

-Tragic


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm so happy. All of you are great! *Bows* I'll try to keep up my fast updating…but keep in mind the role you readers play in this continued diligence. ^.^ *Holds gun to your heads* Sorry this took so long to get out…unexpected nuisances. Lol. I know many of you are impatient for R27 stuff…it will come soon. There are a few issues to sort first. I'm relieved that many of you liked how I portrayed Reborn. I basically went off how I act sometimes and the anime lol

LovelessZim: Creepy? Lol…Thanks. Yay! I'm not gonna get bitten XD

xRinyukix: I'm glad I made your day. I'm also glad to know it's improving xD I wasn't your favorite author before? ;o

mangopudding: Yup…Reborn is Reborn but he has a soft spot for Tsuna lol For others…not so much. Yeah…so much for a vacation. Heh.

Thank you so much everyone! Here you go…chapter 4.

Rating: T-M (Language (Gokudera), Violence, and gore, blood etc all that fun stuff

Disclaimer: *Sighs* Every time I do this I die inside lol I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

_It is good to love the unknown.- Charles Lamb ___  
_The Loveless Spirit 

"It feels weird to move," Haru grouched. Tsuna gave her an apologetic smile. She just sighed, and gave a small smile back.

"IT FEELS EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted, thrusting out his fists, almost hitting Yamamoto who ducked. "You're too loud," Gokudera grumbled. Kyoko giggled.

_Bang. _

"Hiiie!" Tsuna yelped, jumping. His friends were likewise startled.

"Shut up." Reborn ordered, an annoyed tic on his face, his gun in hand. "You could've just said that," Tsuna said, a hand over his rapidly beating heart. "Now where would the fun in that be?"

"You have a messed up idea of fun," Tsuna grumbled.

"It was a rhetorical question, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said, smirking down at him. Tsuna pouted. Tsuna's friends looked on at the exchange between them. 'It's like they are a married couple.' Kyoko thought, amused. Gokudera scowled.

'This road is so long.' Tsuna thought in dismay. Glancing behind him, he could see in the distance that the sun was trying to rise through the mist. Then he looked ahead at the rapidly growing form of Reborn's mansion, which was shrouded in ominous shadow. "Reborn…why is your house so scary?" Tsuna asked, not expecting answer.

So he was surprised when he received one. "It's cursed," he replied simply.

Tsuna paled. His friends looked apprehensive. While nothing could _kill _them, it didn't mean they didn't feel fear. Even the seemingly untouchable can be destroyed.

Tsuna was curious about why it was cursed but didn't ask. Ryohei took the initiative.

"YO, Reborn why is it cursed to the EXTREME?" he yelled cheerfully, gaining a murderous look in return.

Tilting his fedora down to mask his expression, he replied,

"Where an Obake dwells is where its curse festers."

"Eh…" Ryohei scratched his head. Tsuna got the distinct impression Reborn was rolling his eyes.

Apparently deciding that if they didn't understand it wasn't his problem Reborn continued to stroll ahead, ignoring them. Tsuna and his friends hurried to catch up. Reborn turned his slightly to the side, discreetly looking at Tsuna.

'I have he-him now…to think her soul is in a male's body…no matter.' Reborn mused. 'He's every bit as beautiful and pure as she was…and he's _mine.'_

Tsuna suddenly shivered. He felt those dark eyes on him. It was hard not to. It was like he and Reborn were hyper aware of each other…more so since he had signed that contract which bound his soul to the Obake and turned his friends into spirits.

His friends shared knowing looks when they noticed Reborn staring at Tsuna. Not that it was obvious per se just that the air seemed charged around them. Intense.

The steps that led up to the mansion were cracked so Tsuna was careful to not trip. But his efforts were for naught. Tsuna went lurching forward. Into Reborn's arms. Tsuna' face turned red as a cherry. Reborn's chest was transparent but tangible. Tsuna couldn't get over that.

Reborn chest was strong and firm. He blushed harder when he felt chuckled reverberate from it. His friends stood back and watched with various expressions ranging from jealously and amusement.

Instead of setting him back on his feet, Reborn held onto him. Tsuna felt Reborn's breath next to his ear.

"Clumsy aren't you Dame-Tsuna? Don't worry…I got you," he whispered silkily. Tsuna breath hitched before he weakly tried to move away.

'This guy isn't good for my heart.' Tsuna thought faintly. Reborn smirked before leading Tsuna by the hand and gesturing lazily towards the others to follow into his family home.

When they stepped or in Tsuna's friend's cases, floated inside the interior to the ominous mansion, they didn't expect to see it in relatively good shape. It looked almost…modern. If you didn't include the ancient photographs, Oriental rugs, and familial tapestries that is.

Reborn seemed to notice their disbelief for he huffed.

"I'm an Obake not a primitive slob unlike most of this generation," he said dispassionately. Gokudera shot a glare at Reborn which went ignored. Ryohei and Yamamoto laughed. Kyoko and Haru looked bemused.

Tsuna sighed. "You're such a rude individual," Tsuna grumbled. "Hmm…your point being my dear?" Reborn asked, giving a small smirk. "Exactly that," Tsuna replied, disgruntled.

Reborn just tipped his fedora at him like those age old gentlemen did towards ladies. Except it was done mockingly. Tsuna pouted.

"Make yourselves at home I suppose…mind that if you break anything Dame-Tsuna…I'll have to punish you," Reborn warned, dark eyes flashing mischievously in the shadow of his fedora. Tsuna gulped and made a mental note to be as fucking careful as he could.

'I hope he isn't like Hibari-san back home who bites people to death…wait…I'll be shot to death instead.' Tsuna thought, horrified. Or so he thinks.

Kyoko suddenly twirled in the air around him. "Tsuna-kun…this is actually sorta fun!" she said, smiling. Tsuna sweat dropped. "That's good to know, Kyoko-chan…" he said.

His friends were looking around curiously. He noticed Reborn disappeared. 'Eh…' Tsuna thought, confused. He was beside him a moment ago.

"Looking for me?" a darkly amused voice whispered into his ear from behind.

"Hiiie!" Tsuna cried out, turning around. Reborn stood there casually, sipping a mug of dark, bitter smelling liquid Tsuna vaguely recognized as espresso. "Quit doing that," Tsuna muttered.

"Doing what?" he asked innocently, lisp curved slightly from behind the mug. Tsuna deemed the conversation pointless and went to sit down on one of the couches in the sitting room. There wasn't much dust which Tsuna found odd but was grateful for nonetheless.

Tsuna looked up startled when he heard Gokudera cheer. "My dynamites are like me!"

Reborn looked up from his espresso, bored. "Anything that was on your person will have been affected also by the transformation," he explained.

'When he killed Rin and committed suicide all those years ago…his gun was still in his hand…creepy.' He mused, shuddering. Reborn looked over at him, a warning in his eyes. 'Oh that's right…he can sense what's on my mind and it gives him a headache.' Tsuna started to cry internally.

A sudden thought struck him and he looked up. "Reborn…how are you drinking that?" he asked.

"Obake are mostly a physical class of spirits so while they don't have to eat or drink it doesn't mean they can't," Reborn replied. "Wait…so you mean we can't eat or drink?" Haru asked in dismay.

"Nope."

"No more cake…" Haru and Kyoko mourned. "No more sushi," Yamamoto moaned. Ryohei and Gokudera looked crestfallen.

"Look at it this way…if you were dead the result would've been the same," Reborn said, flashing a sadistic smile. "Now that's just cruel…" Tsuna muttered. "Such is the way of this world…and the Tama-Seken," Reborn said, shrugging lightly. "The Spirit World?" Kyoko voiced in confusion.

"Hai…it is the world parallel to this one where most forms of spirits and mythologically supernatural creatures dwell…there are many different planes of existence," Reborn replied. Tsuna had the niggling suspicion that Reborn wasn't telling them something but kept silent.

"Why are you here then?" Gokudera asked rudely.

"That is of no importance to you," Reborn answered, sending him a blank look. Gokudera scowled.

Uncomfortable silence reigned in the sitting room. That is until Tsuna stomach growled. He blushed furiously. The last time he ate had been those snacks he had packed on their trip which felt like eons ago. His friends laughed.

"Maybe it's a good thing we can't go hungry anymore," Yamamoto said. "EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted, pumping a fist up.

Reborn slowly moved away from where he was leaning against the wall.

"I don't have any sustenance here besides my espresso which if any of you touch you will _die_-Reborn glared-so we shall have to go to Matsuo…the town I tortu-haunt," he said, his voice threatening.

Tsuna didn't like the sound of that even if the town had food.

"However…beware the Gateways," Reborn warned, putting his hands in the pockets of his black tailored slacks.

That sounded even worse. "What are Gateways?" Tsuna asked. "Random passages to Heaven and Hell and the Tama-Seken," Reborn replied simply. "Ah…" Tsuna mumbled, wrinkling his nose in bemusement.

"Gateways? SOUNDS EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted, bounding ahead of Reborn to the door. "Brother, wait for us!" Kyoko cried, following with Haru in tow. Tsuna looked towards the ceiling for salvation and only found a spider staring at him. Gokudera and Yamamoto floated close to him, giving him smiles. Tsuna smiled back.

Reborn glared at them but instead of moving away from Tsuna they twitched slightly but didn't move away from Tsuna. 'I'm going to extract my revenge against Reborn for his advances against Tsuna.' Gokudera thought, gleefully.

Tsuna sensed danger and looked at Gokudera worriedly. 'Please don't do something stupid, please, please, please-' his mental prayers went unanswered when Gokudera swiftly whirled around, the dust from the long path towards Reborn's shadowy mansion flying into the air slightly. The silvery sticks of dynamite hurtled towards Reborn.

Without batting an eyelash, Reborn shot the sparking dynamite and they split keenly in half, preventing him from being blown up. Gokudera scowled and was about to try again when Yamamoto intervened. Everyone was staring in slight horror and interest.

"Maa, maa…Gokudera, let's play nice…you could've hurt Tsuna doing that," Yamamoto said, smiling cheerfully as he forcibly steered Gokudera towards the others. Gokudera looked apologetically towards Tsuna who just smiled at him gently. Tsuna looked towards Reborn who was lazily looking towards Gokudera with an evil glint in his dark eyes.

Tsuna went to stand by him. "Sorry about Gokudera," Tsuna said softly. "Mm…that boy would do well not to cross me when it comes to you," Reborn murmured dangerously, causing Tsuna's eyes to widen. "What do you mean by that?" Tsuna asked, oblivious eyes staring up at him.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn sighed, putting a large hand on Tsuna's fluffy head of hair. "Huh?" Tsuna blinked.

"Nothing," Reborn said, shrugging. Tsuna blinked again. They were getting nearly left behind by Tsuna's friends. Reborn developed a tic.

"Oi! You don't even know where the hell you're going! Get your asses back here," Reborn bellowed, looking really irritated. 'It's like he's worried about something.' Tsuna thought, before wincing when Reborn raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't call him out on it though which relieved Tsuna.

Tsuna friends suddenly stopped at the sudden order. They looked somewhat sheepish except for Gokudera who was frowning stormily. Reborn took the lead, not so subtly forcing Tsuna to remain by his side. This made Tsuna's friends look at each other in slight worry. They understood that Reborn probably saw a lot of the woman he loved(and killed) in Tsuna, this made them concerned for their friend.

"Is it always so foggy around here," Tsuna asked Reborn, curious. "It's just an illusion," Reborn replied, bored. "Eh?" Tsuna uttered, confused. Reborn tilted his fedora lower. "I daresay you might find out eventually," he said, not elaborating.

Tsuna shook his head cutely. "You're weird," Tsuna deadpanned. Reborn smirked. "That's an oddly befitting word for someone like me who should've been long gone…or have you forgotten what I am already? Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said, chuckling. Tsuna pouted.

"Mou…" Tsuna grumbles.

Tsuna's friends exchange looks. "TSUNA! HOW'S YOUR EXTREME TALK WITH REBORN?" Ryohei shouted exuberantly. Tsuna giggled. "Oh fine," he replied, shaking his head fondly at Ryohei's antics. Reborn seemed slightly disgruntled with Ryohei's limitless energy.

Haru and Kyoko laughed, grabbing Ryohei's arms so he would quit flopping around. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked amused; Tsuna was relieved that Yamamoto managed to calm Gokudera down. The gray crags of buildings belonging to the town of Matsuo slowly materialized.

With his face in shadow Reborn suddenly turned around to face his new…_charges. _'Ah…the things we do for love.' Reborn thought dryly.

"No wandering off…this town is home to many of my kind who don't take kindly to new spirits such as yourselves…this is largely considered a ghost town to many of the living…and Tsuna I don't want you out of my sight or you will be eating bullets," Reborn warned, eyes narrowing dangerously. Tsuna gulped and nodded his head furiously, briefly wondering why he would be in more danger than his friends while feeling relieved. He would rather be in danger than them.

Haru and Kyoko nodded nervously in agreement.

"EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted.

"Maa…we gotcha," Yamamoto said, grinning.

"Don't fucking threaten Tsuna!" Gokudera snarled. Reborn looked at him cooly. "Don't tell me what to do," Reborn said, before dragging Tsuna after him.

"Hiiie! Not so fast Reborn~!" Tsuna cried. Reborn snorted softly. "You sound like we are engaging in immoral activities with that tone of voice," he responded casually, thriving in the furious blush that decorated Tsuna's face. Haru and Kyoko squealed excitedly. The guys excluding Gokudera looked amused.

Just as they were approaching the large, rusted iron sign above the entrance proclaiming _"Matsuo Town," _they suddenly heard the wind laugh hauntingly.

"Fufufu...indeed but I do question your skill in that department…_Reborn."_

Hehehe…aren't I cruel? How I love Mukuro…but Reborn can kick his ass any day. Lucky Tuna. Please tell me how you liked the chapter…hope it wasn't too short and boring x.x I promise the next one will be…_fun_. How could it not? Heh. Please review.

-Tragic


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